Steve's Serendipities

Just a reminder: the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is still open; capacity is 800. Hmmmmm...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Taqiyya - Islam's doctrines of deception

"So-called 'moderate' Muslims – or, more specifically, secularised Muslims – do not closely adhere to sharia, and therefore have little to dissemble about. On the other hand, 'radical' Muslims who closely observe sharia law, which splits the world into two perpetually warring halves, will always have a 'divinely sanctioned' right to deceive, until 'all chaos ceases, and all religion belongs to Allah' (Quran 8:39)."...

"According to the authoritative Arabic text, Al-Taqiyya Fi Al-Islam: 'Taqiyya [deception] is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it. We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream...Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era.'

The primary Quranic verse sanctioning deception with respect to non-Muslims states: 'Let believers not take for friends and allies infidels instead of believers. Whoever does this shall have no relationship left with Allah – unless you but guard yourselves against them, taking precautions.' (Quran 3:28; see also 2:173; 2:185; 4:29; 22:78; 40:28.)

Al-Tabari's (838-923 AD) Tafsir, or Quranic exegeses, is essentially a standard reference in the entire Muslim world. Regarding 3:28, he wrote: 'If you [Muslims] are under their [infidels'] authority, fearing for yourselves, behave loyally to them, with your tongue, while harbouring inner animosity for them... Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate terms with the infidels in place of believers – except when infidels are above them [in authority]. In such a scenario, let them act friendly towards them.'

Regarding 3:28, the Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir (1301-1373) wrote: 'Whoever at any time or place fears their [infidels'] evil, may protect himself through outward show.'

As proof of this, he quotes Muhammad's companions. Abu Darda said: 'Let us smile to the face of some people while our hearts curse them.' Al-Hassan said: 'Doing taqiyya is acceptable till the day of judgment [in perpetuity]'.

Other prominent ulema, such as al- Qurtubi , al-Razi, and al-Arabi have extended taqiyya to cover deeds. Muslims can behave like infidels – from bowing down and worshipping idols and crosses to even exposing fellow Muslims' weak spots to the infidel enemy – anything short of actually killing a fellow Muslim"